Acapella, Audition, Arts
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day one hundred and eighteen: ABCs #1 As Artie awaits his audition, he thinks about his song choice and how he learned to love music.


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a second cycle, and then a third, fourth, and fifty cycle. Now here's cycle 6!_

_Walking through a bookstore back in december, I saw the series of books by Sue Grafton that go "A is for...," "B is for...," etc, and I got the idea for this set. It will spread over the end of cycle 6, and carry through cycles 7 and 8, to be posted on alternating days. [And by the time we reach the end, Glee will be a week away!!] What I did is I found three words for each letter that would have some significance to Glee, and I built a plot around it. You with me? Okay, here we go...  
**1 of 26: A is for...**_

* * *

**"Acapella, Audition, Arts"  
Artie, Artie/Tina  
Sequel to "In Tandem"**

He waited at the back of the auditorium, watching Tina's audition. She wouldn't be able to see him, but she still knew he was there. If that got her through it, gave her the boost she needed in order to let Mr. Schuester see just how good she was and could be, then it didn't matter if he was deep in shadows or lit up like a Christmas tree.

As he awaited his turn, he wasn't even a little bit stressed. He'd seen the signup sheet for Glee Club, and immediately he'd wanted to put his name in… It could be fun… But then he had a better idea. He knew Tina might need a little push… and having her there would just make it that much better.

He hadn't told her what his audition song was, even if he'd had it picked out from the moment he'd seen the sheet on the wall, no need to think about it. This meant something to him, it only made sense that he should pick a song that meant something to him too.

It was his mother who had awakened the love of music in him. His father 'sang,' but his mother had spent her teenage years and then some with an ever increasing music collection. None of it was as valued to her as her Beatles collection, which she'd inherited from her older sister when she'd gone off to college. Throughout the years, other acts came and went, but the Beatles stayed with her.

Artie grew up with them too. He was told many times how, barely within the ability to speak, he could approximate some form of one of the songs. There was one he loved more than the others. If he was ever upset, all he needed was his song, and he'd calm down.

It followed him through as he learned to play guitar too. He always felt at ease with it, so he wanted to know how to play it. Then once he'd gotten to playing it, he sang it as well… it was the first song he sang, really sang. Why he wouldn't tell Tina, it didn't really have any particular reason, he just wanted to keep her anxious for the day… and it had. She had arrived ready to take the world. Him… well, it was all fine except for the one minor detail… he'd forgotten his guitar.

He was so focused on Tina, it had just slipped his mind. His intention had been to accompany himself with it, just him, no piano. If he didn't have it though, he decided he'd just go at it on his own, no music, just him.

When Tina was done with her audition, she came dashing up the aisle. He smiled, seeing how excited she was. "Th-that was easy," she nodded, taking a seat in the back row and turning to face him. "N-now will you tell me?" she begged. He looked up ahead to Mr. Schuester, who was waving him on.

"Just sit there and you'll see," he told her. She sighed and sat back.

Artie watched Mr. Schuester and the piano player come up the steps. Mr. Schuester asked if he was good with them carrying him over to the stage. He assured them he was. They each took hold of the chair and lifted him along. He really hoped they didn't rehearse in here too much, or the others might start getting annoyed with him…

Once they set him down, he was almost glad he didn't intend to use the piano player's services. The man went to sit down in the audience, flexing his fingers, while Mr. Schuester regained the platform.

"Alright, are you ready?" Mr. Schuester asked. Artie adjusted his glasses before resting his hands in his lap.

"Yes. I'm Artie Abrams and I'll be singing 'Let it be.'" From deep within the auditorium, he swore he heard a sharp "Ha!" and he grinned to himself.

"Do you have any music prepared?" Mr. Schuester asked.

"No, it's alright. I prefer to just go without it," he nodded. Mr. Schuester nodded back, giving him the signal to start.

He rested in the stillness coupled with echo of the room for a moment before he let the music play out in his mind. He knew it inside and out.

"_When I find myself in times of trouble / Mother Mary comes to me / Speaking words of wisdom, let it be. / And in my hour of darkness / She is standing right in front of me / Speaking words of wisdom, let it be. / Let it be, let it be. / Let it be, let it be. / Whisper words of wisdom, let it be."_

Part of him had thought about setting up a camera, so he could show his mother after. She was always so proud of him, and it was something that didn't have to make them think about the accident and how he felt, the guilt… now they'd just have that much more.

"_And when the broken hearted people / Living in this world agree, / There will be an answer, let it be. / For though they may be parted there is / Still a chance that they will see / There will be an answer, let it be. / Let it be, let it be. / Let it be, let it be. / There will be an answer, let it be."_

He didn't know what would come of all this. He could tell Mr. Schuester was happy to have him there though, so it helped… and there was Tina, of course.

"_And when the night is cloudy, / There is still a light that shines on me, / Shine on until tomorrow, let it be. / I wake up to the sound of music / Mother Mary comes to me / Speaking words of wisdom, let it be. / Let it be, let it be. / There will be an answer, let it be. / Let it be, let it be, / Whisper words of wisdom, let it be"_

THE END


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